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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · plane · net · band · rest · season · file · mark

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. band — a ring
  3. rest — what's left
  4. can — a tin
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mark — a trace
  7. net — for catching
  8. file — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. file — a line of people
  11. can — a tin
  12. file — a document
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. rest — a break
  15. band — a music group
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mark — a grade
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. net — after costs
  20. plane — a tool
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. can — to be able to
  23. net — in sport
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com